Mission of Mercy
by Davner
Summary: Sylphiel must take on a deadly disease that threatens the very astral plane.


Slayers belongs to Kadokawa Shoten.  
  
Another lost fic.  
  
Mission of Mercy  
  
  
  
"That's it, Val chan! You're getting it!" Filia giggled as she swooped gracefully through another turn, her adopted son flying just behind her. "Now, follow me down!" She tucked her golden body in and started for the ocean below.  
  
"Hai, Mama!" the smaller, Ancient dragon replied, following his mother down.  
  
Filia smiled proudly. Val's first flying lesson was going better than she thought it would. He really was a bright, young dragon and a quick study.  
  
"WHOOP!" she cried, suddenly pulling up, coming within mere feet of the water. Her maneuver was so fast that a cloud of spray shot up. Val cried out and giggled as he flew right through it. Filia smiled.  
  
Suddenly, her son wasn't laughing.  
  
"Val chan?"  
  
"Look, Mama! Birds!"  
  
Filia flapped her wings and came to a hover next to her son. Val pointed out towards the north. Several, large, black dots were on the horizon…  
  
And they were getting bigger.  
  
The golden dragon felt a shiver run up her tail. She recognized that feeling.  
  
"Val chan! Get behind me!" she cried, pulling her son behind her so that she hovered between him and what approached. She could make out several different shapes, but she expected that…  
  
No Mazoku looked EXACTLY like another, after all…  
  
There were at least twenty of them flying toward the two dragons. Some looked like giant hawks, some like serpents. One of them looked like just a large, black cloud. Filia assessed her options. Even if they flew for all they were worth, the Mazoku would only catch up to them in a few seconds.  
  
"STAY BACK!" she ordered them, mustering as much authority and malice in her voice as she could.  
  
The Mazoku didn't answer. They continued towards them at a breakneck speed.  
  
"Val chan, stay behind mommy," she whispered to the frightened, young dragon. She looked up at the approaching monsters again. "IF YOU DON'T TURN AROUND NOW AND LEAVE, I'LL DESTROY YOU!" she told them.  
  
They ignored her.  
  
She started to ready a laser breath, but suddenly realized to her horror that she had misjudged their speed and distance. In two seconds they were on her. Val screamed in fright, and Filia braced herself, preparing to buy Val chan's life with her own. Then, the Mazoku did something that astonished her.  
  
They flew right by.  
  
The monsters flew past them on either side. Val hugged Filia's tail, weeping in fright. After a second, the last Mazoku was past them.  
  
Filia turned and watched as they flew off to the south.  
  
"What are they, Mama?" Val whimpered.  
  
"They're Mazoku," she whispered. "And they're certainly in a hurry." The black dots on the horizon were starting to disappear.  
  
Why south?  
  
The only thing to the south was…  
  
"Wolfpack Island," the dragon whispered.  
  
  
  
Sylphiel Nels Lahda stretched out and sighed as she lay on the grassy hill, looking up at the clouds. How peaceful it was. It was so bright and cheery out. It was times like this she wished she had learned how to paint. She'd love to be able to capture a day like this on a canvas and keep such a wonderful day forever.  
  
Then again, if things went the same way they had been for the past month, tomorrow was guaranteed to be just as cheery.  
  
Without exaggeration it had been sunny and cheerful every day for a month in the small town of Namor where Sylphiel had taken up residence. It was almost odd. It was if the storm clouds were on vacation or something. And that wasn't all. Apparently, monsters didn't like the sunny weather. There hadn't been a monster attack reported anywhere nearby since then.  
  
As a healer-priestess hired to help travelers who have suffered from just those kind of attacks, there was very little for Sylphiel to do.  
  
Hence, the cloud watching.  
  
She really didn't mind. Since moving to this small town, she had found new callings. She now taught at the local elementary school and functioned as the town's doctor since they didn't have one of their own. Her skills made her more than adequate. Priestesses of Sairaag were the most highly trained and specialized on the continent.  
  
"Miss Syyyyyyylphieeeeeeel!" she heard someone call out from not far away. "Are you out heeeeeeere?!"  
  
She blinked and sat up, recognizing the voice. "Miss Amelia?!" she called back. "Is that you?!" The princess caught sight of her and waved happily. She started for the priestess, who stood up and faced her. "What are you doing so far from Seyruun?" she asked puzzled.  
  
Amelia smiled happily, but at the same time blushed. "I'm…on a quest."  
  
"A quest?" Sylphiel asked, blinking in confusion. "Are the others with you, then?"  
  
The princess shook her head. "It's…not that kind of quest." She took a breath. "Miss Sylphiel…has…Mister Zelgadis come this way?"  
  
Sylphiel saw the red in the girl's cheeks and put it together. "Oh…THAT kind of quest…" Amelia didn't answer. The priestess smiled. "So you've finally decided to really go after him, huh?"  
  
Amelia smiled brightly, happy to see that Sylphiel understood her mission.  
  
"I'm sorry, Miss Amelia. I haven't seen any of them since the last time you all left together."  
  
The princess looked disappointed, but was expecting that kind of answer.  
  
"Why don't you come back to my house?" Sylphiel asked with a smile. "We can have lunch and catch up."  
  
Amelia smiled and nodded once. The two walked down a grassy path to Sylphiel's small cottage on the edge of town. The two chatted and talked about how the others were doing. Sylphiel turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. Walking in, her eyes went wide.  
  
"Um…Hello…" she said.  
  
Amelia blinked at the sight that met them. "Mister Xellos?"  
  
Sitting at Sylphiel's tiny table, drinking a cup of tea, was the Trickster Priest himself. He looked up and smiled. "Ah! Just the woman I came to see! And Miss Amelia to boot! How are you, Miss Sylphiel?"  
  
"I'm well, Mister Xellos, thank you."  
  
"I hope you don't mind," he said with a smile. "There was no one here when I arrived, so I helped myself to some tea."  
  
"Um…That's quite all right," Sylphiel assured him. "Is there something I can do for you, Mister Xellos?"  
  
Xellos shut his eyes for a moment after a sip of tea and took a breath. Sylphiel and Amelia watched this quizzically. Finally, the Mazoku seemed to snap out of it and faced them again. "Actually, there is something," he told them.  
  
"Oh?" Amelia asked.  
  
He nodded. "Miss Sylphiel, you're a healer-priestess of Sairaag, correct?"  
  
"Yes, I am," she answered.  
  
"Excellent…excellent," he said quietly. "You should do…" He paused and shut his eyes again, taking another breath. "You should do nicely then."  
  
"Mister Xellos, is something wrong?" Sylphiel asked him.  
  
"Hmmm?" he asked, grinning. "Oh, of course not," he assured her. "I just thought I'd tip you off to something."  
  
"What kind of something?" Amelia asked.  
  
"Well, if I recall correctly, priestesses of Sairaag take an oath to give aid and comfort to all that need them, and I just happen to know of a place that needs aid and comfort."  
  
They stared at him, not sure where he was going with all this.  
  
"A small community needs your help, Miss Sylphiel," he went on. "Are you willing to help them?"  
  
She nodded without hesitation. "Yes, of course! Let me get my…"  
  
"Just a second!" Amelia cried, facing off with Xellos. "Only a year ago you let an entire village of sand people be terrorized by ValGaav's goons because it wasn't any of your 'affair.' So what's the deal this time?!"  
  
Xellos looked hurt. "Can't a Mazoku LEARN from his past mistakes?" he asked. "I can't help it if you've inspired me to do good, Miss Amelia!"  
  
Sylphiel, meanwhile, was gathering up her kit, a collection of mystical devices she had gathered over time from various temples and shrines, including her scepter. Placing her collection of crystals in a leather bag, she shut it and turned back to Xellos. "Okay, I'm ready."  
  
"Miss Sylphiel…" Amelia began. "I'm not so sure."  
  
"You can come along, if you like, Miss Amelia," Xellos told her. "If you're concerned for Miss Sylphiel's safety."  
  
Amelia posed. "A HERO OF JUSTICE DOES NOT ABANDON HER FRIENDS WHEN THEY NEED HELP!"  
  
"My point exactly," Xellos said with a smile. "Everyone ready?" At their nods, Xellos shut his eyes and concentrated. Sylphiel and Amelia were covered by a think dark veil. For several moments it was if they were floating in nothingness.  
  
"Mister Xellos?" Sylphiel asked the priest. His eyes were still closed as if in deep concentration.  
  
"Hmm?" he asked.  
  
"What can you tell me about what's happening? If I know beforehand, I can be prepared. Was there a fire? A battle?"  
  
"No," he whispered. "Worse."  
  
"Worse?" Amelia asked.  
  
He nodded. "This community has been hit with a plague."  
  
"Oh dear," Sylphiel commented, running through a mental list of illnesses she knew of. If it was Ranmaitic Fever, she'd need several buckets of warm water. If it was Shinjitis, she would have to find spinal material from someone…  
  
"Yes," Xellos told her. "It first struck about a month ago. The community thought nothing of it at first. Before long, however, it had spread. More than seventy percent of the population has been infected, and new cases are being reported every hour."  
  
"What kind of symptoms? And what action has been taken?" Amelia asked. She was a healer-priestess as well, if not as powerful as Sylphiel. As a hero of justice, she was willing and eager to help those suffering.  
  
"Fever," Xellos explained quietly. "Quickened pulse. Lethargy, depression…In the advanced cases…psychosis and full-blown dementia."  
  
"I don't recognize it," Sylphiel commented in a whisper. "But it sounds like some kind of brain disease. What have their healers done?"  
  
Xellos chuckled under his breath. "This particular community has no healers, Miss Sylphiel," he explained. "They've never been needed."  
  
"How can that be!?"  
  
He smiled. "However, action has been taken. Those who reach the advanced stages are killed, and their remains are incinerated."  
  
"How cruel!" Amelia cried.  
  
Xellos took a deep breath and seemed to struggle for concentration. "I assure you…It was necessary."  
  
"Mister Xellos…"  
  
"We're here." The darkness lifted from them. Sylphiel and Amelia gasped at the sight before them. It looked like something straight out of Hell. A mammoth, stone castle stood before them. Bodies, bloodied but still alive, hung from chains from the castle walls, crying. Storm clouds thundered overhead.  
  
"What is this place?" Amelia gasped out in fright. "Where have you brought us?"  
  
"To those that need you, of course," Xellos muttered. "Welcome to WolfPack Island."  
  
Sylphiel turned to him in shock. "What?! You mean…The community that's been hit by the plague…"  
  
The priest nodded. "Yes, Miss Sylphiel, I'm afraid so." He wobbled on his feet for a moment and steadied himself on his staff. Opening his eyes, he looked down at her.  
  
"The Mazoku are dying."  
  
  
  
Zelas Metallium put her hand to her forehead and took a deep breath as more reports flooded in from her Mazoku all over the astral plane.  
  
//Reports of new cases from Mazoku watching Seyruun and Xoana,// the symphony of voices told her. //We are now only capable of deploying thirty percent of our forces at any given time. Eighty two of one hundred and ten operations have been cancelled due to the illness. All Mazoku not infected have been recalled to the outskirts of WolfPack Island to defend it in case of Shinzoku or Ryuuzoku attack.//  
  
She sat down on her throne and rubbed her aching temples. A large wolf nearby whimpered sympathetically.  
  
//Three more Mazoku have been put down after attacking other Mazoku. The number of advanced cases is increasing. At this rate, we will not have enough forces deployed to defend ourselves in the event of a first strike.//  
  
"What about Dynast and Deep Sea Dolphin?" the Mazoku leader asked, her eyes closed in exhaustion.  
  
//The remains of Dynast's forces are reporting similar difficulties. Contact with Deep Sea Dolphin's forces was lost at eight-fifteen A.M., this morning. Based on the reports from them preceding this, we can only assume that they have succumbed.//  
  
Zelas shivered as a chill ran up her spine. "Deploy as many of our remaining forces as possible to areas where we know the Shinzoku are watching us. Do whatever is necessary to maintain the illusion that we are at full strength."  
  
//We will comply.//  
  
"Majesty."  
  
She turned her head and saw her Priest/General and two mundanes standing before her. "Xellos," she said weakly, putting on a predatory smile. "You've returned with the human. Very good."  
  
Sylphiel, remembering her manners, and hearing the title Xellos had given the woman, curtsied. "Good afternoon, Your Majesty," she said politely. Caught off guard, Amelia did the same a second later.  
  
Zelas smiled. "And a polite human at that."  
  
"Zelas Metallium, Mazoku Queen and Regent in the Absence of Our Lord Ruby Eyed Shabranigdo, may I present Sylphiel Nels Lahda, Healer-Priestess of Sairaag and Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, Princess of Seyruun," Xellos said formally, making the introductions.  
  
"Hi," Amelia said nervously with a small wave.  
  
"I take it things are not improving," Xellos commented.  
  
"Oh, no, Xelly boy," Zelas said tiredly. "Things are fan-fucking- tastic. Of course, as things are now, that golden bitch you're so fond of armed with a pitchfork could take on what's left of the Mazoku, but hey…Shit happens, right?"  
  
"Hopefully, not for much longer," Xellos told her. "Miss Sylphiel has agreed to help us."  
  
Zelas waved the thought aside. "Good, good…Give her what assistance she needs."  
  
"Yes, Majesty," Xellos said with a short bow.  
  
"Um…Mister Xellos, Your Majesty," Sylphiel began nervously, "I thought I was going to be ministering to humans. I'm afraid I don't know much about Mazoku…"  
  
"Xellos will teach you what you need to know," Zelas said with a dismissive wave.  
  
"Yes, but perhaps you should try someone who knows more about the Mazoku," Sylphiel went on. "Perhaps Miss Lina or…"  
  
"Lina chan isn't a healer," Xellos told her pointedly. "Although powerful, it's a power pointed in the wrong direction. We need someone who knows HOW to heal."  
  
"Yes, but…"  
  
Zelas growled. "We don't have time for pointless bickering. Let me put it this way." She climbed haltingly out of her throne and glared at the priestess. "This disease, whatever it is, is killing my people. It hasn't spread to humans, but I can guarantee you that it will." The threat in her voice was all too evident. "If my people die out, YOURS die out. I'll see to that with my last breath." She took a deep one now. "Our survival is your survival. It's that simple."  
  
"So," Amelia said, her eye twitching, "You're…blackmailing…us…"  
  
Zelas smiled. "Quite." 


End file.
